Choosing a plastic comb binding machine can be a difficult process, especially since there are so many different makes and models available. One of the best names in the business is Fellowes, an office machine company that's known primarily for their paper shredders. However, they also produce some great binding units, including the Star and Starlet plastic comb binding machines. These two products look very similar and they share many of the same features. So how do you know which one to choose? This article will look at both machines so you can make a decision about which one you should buy for your office.

The Fellowes Starlet is a basic plastic comb binding machine that's made for people who don't bind documents very often. This machine can punch up to seven pages at once and bind documents that are 90 pages long. The largest binding comb it can handle is a half-inch one, so this isn't a good machine if you need to bind thicker booklets. The Starlet has a comb selection guide and storage tray, an upright document loader that ensures your document will be bound properly, and it comes with a two-year warranty. Plus, the teeth on this thing are made of metal, which is atypical for a basic comb binding machine. The Starlet retails for less than $100.00, so it's definitely affordable even in this economy, and it closes up so you can store and transport it without difficulty. However, it does lack some advanced features such as disengageable dies and an adjustable dept of punch margin control. This means you won't be able to create custom-length booklets. However, if you just need a basic binding machine, chances are you don't need such features anyway.

The Fellowes Star binding machine is meant to be a step up from the Starlet and it's available for just over $100.00. It has many of the same features as the Starlet machine such as a comb storage tray and an upright document loader. It also looks very similar to the Starlet, so at first glance, it's very difficult to tell them apart. But the Star outperforms the Starlet in two key areas: punching and binding capacity. It can punch 10 pages per lift and it can bind documents that are up to 150 pages long using combs as thick as 3/4". Unfortunately, the Starlet doesn't have disengageable dies nor does it have an adjustable dept of punch margin control, so if you need those features, you should get a machine such as Fellowes' Galaxy comb binding machine.

The Starlet and Star plastic comb binding machines are both well-constructed units and carry the prestigious Fellowes name. If you're wondering what machine to get, it's pretty clear that you should go with the Star. It costs only a few dollars more than the Starlet and it offers more binding and punching power. It's likely that once you start binding your documents with a plastic comb binding machine, you're going to want a machine that can do more. Therefore, investing in a Star right off the bat would be a wise decision. Don't you think?